Spartanburg, S.C. – Elon baseball (20-33) dropped both games of a multi-team doubleheader to close out their regular season Thursday. The Phoenix fell in extra innings in both games, losing in the first game to Northern Kentucky (25-26) 12-11, and to USC Upstate (27-27) 7-6 in game two.
In game one, Elon trailed 11-4 but scored seven unanswered runs to force extra innings.
Kevin Denty recorded another multi-hit game and his first home run of the season in the loss.
Vince Fattore finished his season with a run of home runs including a three-run shot in game one.
Against the Spartans in game two, the relief efforts of
Tommy Mitchell and
Owen Winebarger limited Upstate to just one earned run in five innings.
Brian DuRoff ended his Elon career with two doubles in his final game and two RBI.
HOW IT HAPPENED – Game One
- Elon struck first in the top of the second when Fattore scored on a balk.
- The Norse responded with five runs in the bottom half of the frame.
- The Phoenix fought back off the bat of Fattore. With two runners in scoring position, the redshirt-junior cleared the left field wall to make it a one-run game.
- Northern Kentucky responded with six unanswered runs to take an 11-4 lead into the sixth inning.
- A Jake Hajdu RBI single cut into the deficit and a Brian DuRoff hit by pitch drove in another.
- Denty's first homer of the season cut the lead to four in the seventh and a DuRoff ground out trimmed the lead to three going into the ninth inning.
- In the ninth with the bases loaded, Jackson Alford cleared the bases with an RBI double to right center that tied the game at 11.
- Northern Kentucky ended the hope of a completed comeback with a walk-off single in the tenth.
HOW IT HAPPENED – Game Two
- For the second time in two games, the Phoenix struck first.
- DuRoff continued his strong day with a two-RBI double in the third to put Elon in front.
- Upstate responded with three runs in the fourth to take their first lead.
- The Spartans added another run in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead into the final three innings.
- Using Upstate's errors against them, Elon added a run back when Henry Akopov scored from first on a throwing error. Alford later singled home Nate Sterling to tie the game at four. Another Upstate error scored Alford from third and gave the Phoenix the lead.
- With two outs in the ninth, the Spartans tied the scored with an unearned run.
- Elon countered in the top of the tenth when Denty doubled down the left field line to take the lead back.
- The Spartans walked the game off in the bottom of the tenth with a pair of runs.
QUICK HITS
- Sam Nomura made his 75th career appearance in game one of the doubleheader. Nomura enters the Elon career appearances top-10 list, tying former teammate Liam Dabagian in tenth place.
- Brian DuRoff finished the season with 19 doubles. 19 doubles in a season are the most by a Phoenix hitter since 2016 (Kyle Jackson and Nick Zammarelli).
- Gar Hindle walked twice over the two games of the doubleheader. Hindle finished the season with 30 walks, the most by a freshman in Elon history.
- Tommy Mitchell pitched two innings with no earned runs on Thursday. Mitchell finishes his season with an ERA of 3.99.
- Jackson Alford finished his season with 31 stolen bases, tied for the eighth most in program history in a single season.
- Elon stole 94 bases as a team in 2026. It is the most stolen bases by an Elon team in 15 seasons. Elon swiped 114 bags in 2011.
